Dorodjatun named ambassador to U.S.

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said yesterday that Washington has approved economist Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti as the next Indonesian ambassador to the United States.

Alatas, who is currently in New York to take over the leadership of the Group of 77, was quoted by Antara as saying that it is now a matter of waiting for his official installment by President Soeharto.

But Alatas said that the official installment may take sometime given the president's tight schedule. Alatas added that it is also rare for just one ambassador to be installed during a ceremony.

Dorodjatun, 58, replaces Arifin Siregar who has served as ambassador in Washington since 1993. Arifin ended his term in December.

While waiting for Dorodjatun to be officially installed, diplomat Nazaruddin Nasution is the ad interim head of the embassy in Washington.

Dorodjatun is no stranger to the United States. He earned his doctorate in economics from the University of California in Berkeley in 1980.

Known for his sharp thoughts on the economy, Dorodjatun's articles have been published extensively in various newspapers.

Born in Rangkasbitung, West Java, Dorodjatun currently holds the post as dean of the school of economics at the University of Indonesia.

When contacted here last night, Dorodjatun was not available for comment. (09)